


Eternity and a Day

by kurokuuki



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, F/M, Guns, Jealousy, Minor Violence, Mutual Pining, Reader-Insert, Slow Build, Slow Burn, implied minor gladio crush, lots of future nsfw stuff for you guys dont worry lol, prompto is a pure soul
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-19 15:09:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9446921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurokuuki/pseuds/kurokuuki
Summary: Female Reader meets Noctis and his entourage in an unlikely place. After a turn of events, she joins them on their journey, only to find out traveling so closely with them can result in unexpected feelings.Implied Gladio interest at first. Slow Burn fic. Rating will rise significantly later on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First fic in a while. My writing suffered significantly so i want to try and build it up again!

You stood up, brushing your knees as Wiz approached you from the Chocobo Post main building. “How's the ol' girl lookin'” he inquired, peering over at the chocobo in the stall.  
You were one of the few people outside of Insomnia who had any medical experience. You were not a professional by any means, but you knew enough to help and learned more as you traveled. The majority of medical professionals on the continent had resided in Insomnia...the few who had made it escaped to Altissia on private vessels or resided in Lestallum. Not having enough experience to help in a hospital, and because of your general distaste for city dwellers, you decided to answer the call to the countryside, treating country folk and animals alike.

“She's tired. But her stitches are secure. I recommend getting more lights at the post and exercising all the chocobos extensively during the day so there's less temptation to escape the pen at night. The daemons could have done worse on her. She's a lucky one and thank you to whoever found her.” you responded, taking off your apron. Wiz chuckled and clapped your back. “Well, her saviors are on their way today. You can thank my boys in person. You did one hell of a job kid. Good to have one of you lot around. As for the lights, I'll be getting assistance for taking care of it tomorrow. Been a horrible problem lately.”

You smiled back, wiping the sweat from your forehead. “Your boys? I didn't know you had sons. But no problem. I actually prefer to work on animals more than people, less complaining.” you laughed, joking with the old man. “And don't call me kid, old man, I just saved your bird.”

“Well, you'll always be a kid to me.” he snorted back, a warm smile on his face. “Now sit yer tired self down and eat before a chocobo gets to it.” he gestured to a table on the lawn and you happily obliged. “And they ain't my sons. But you'll see what I mean, miss. They should be due any minute and dang if you ain't in for a surprise.”  
You looked at Wiz inquisitively. You loved the warm nature of the old man but he was definitely a prankster at heart.

No sooner had you sat and stuffed your face with one of Wiz's sandwiches than the roar of an engine filled your ears. You looked over and nearly spit out your food as the fanciest car you had ever seen pulled into the dirt road of the Chocobo Post. It came to a rapid halt and as soon as you laid your eyes on the darkly dressed, raven haired young man, who jogged over towards Wiz, you could have thrown up.

It was the Prince. _The_ Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum of Insomnia, the Lucian royal family. He was not only alive, but standing mere meters away from you. Wiz yelled out to him, and his entourage. “Boys!! Good to have you back! I have a few things to throw your way but for now, sit down and relax!”  
“Good to see you Wiz.” the prince responded casually. _Why...How were they on such casual terms?!_ You thought, frozen in place, the piece of sandwich still stuffed in your cheek as you stared on. His entourage caught up to him, a tall, slender man with glasses, very clean cut and professional looking, a large, muscular handsome man with tattoos decorating his body which he was obviously not scared to show off, and some leaner blonde man who, despite dressed in black like the rest of his crew, looked out of place by the goofy grin he sported.

They didn't notice you at all, and you would have preferred it that way because you looked like a mess and already had a tough time dealing with anyone high up in the societal hierarchy. Even the royal doctors were elitist, pompous professionals who looked down on a novice like yourself, what would _THE PRINCE OF THE ENTIRE REGION_ _AND HIS KINGSGUARD_ think of you?

However, just like you dreaded, Wiz immediately looked your way, a giant grin on his face. “Hey!” he called to you, repeating your name twice before you worked up the courage to look at him. “You said you wanted to say something to the men who saved our favorite chocobo didn't you?” his smile grew as your embarrassment arose. You could've killed the old man in that moment for putting you on the spot. Quickly swallowing the contents of your sandwich, you brushed the crumbs off your lips with the back of your hand and paced over to the group. Once directly in front of the prince, you nodded your head respectfully, you clasped your hands together and stated, “Thank you sir for your help in rescuing Wiz's chocobo. Because of your deeds, I was able to fix her wing and she will be able to continue a happy and healthy life.” _Jeez, could you have sounded more robotic?_ Your face grew red at the thought. You were met with a brief silence and then looked up, the prince looking at you strangely, a hand scratching the back of his head. “Uh...no problem. Happy to help.”  
“Looks like someone recognizes you, Noct.” a deep voice teased. The large, muscular man smiled at you. “Isn't that right?”  
“Yeah, why so formal?” the blonde man chimed in as he skipped next to the princes side, elbowing him in the arm. “Noct here is about as uncool as they come, right Iggy?”  
The man with glasses shot a glance towards the blond. “Actually Prompto, if anyone here is considered 'uncool' I do recall you being the one tripping over your own boots in front of Miss Cindy.” At this the blonde man pouted.

You stood stunned at the casual disposition everyone had with each other. You didn't know how to act. “I'm sorry.” you started, as the men looked toward you once more. “I do recognize you, Mister Prince Noctis sir. But I don't understand why royalty is out here in the country. Shouldn't you be somewhere safe?” You heard a chuckle from the muscular man and the blonde and a whisper of “She called him Mister!” followed by stifled giggles.  
Wiz looked at you uncomfortably. “Now now, you don't have to be so formal...”  
Prince Noctis also studied your face for a moment before replying, albeit awkwardly. “Listen. I don't usually explain this to many people but I would prefer it if you just called me Noctis.” his faced warmed. “I'm really just another person traveling with my friends, avoiding responsibility.” he laughed lightly and stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you. And thank you for your help with Wiz. As for a safe place, we do pretty well on our own.”  
You hesitated but accepted his handshake. “It may take some getting used to Pri-...I mean Noctis, but I will try.” and offered up a smile. A bright light flashed in front of you accompanying the click of what sounded like a camera shutter. You blinked twice before noticing the blonde had stepped next to you and the prince, holding a camera in his hand and a large shit-eating grin.  
“Prompto! Cut it out!” Noctis shoved him lightly out of the way. Wiz seemed to ease slightly. “Now now, y'all sit down and get to know each other. Finish your sandwich missy and I'll whip somethin' up for the rest of y'all.”

You did as you were told, announcing your name to the group formally as you returned to your seat, Noctis sitting on your left and the muscular man taking a seat to your right. “Gladiolus Amicitia, Kingsguard.” he replied, his voice like milk chocolate, smooth and rich. Your heart rate couldn't help accelerating slightly at the deep pitch in his speech. “But you can call me Gladio. It sounds more fun.” he smiled. _Damn he's striking._ You thought to yourself, trying not to stare. In fact, you noticed as you looked around the table that each man had his own attractive features but _damn_ did Gladio hit the lottery in handsome attributes. “Ignis Scientia” the man in glasses introduced himself. “Although, you may hear these three call me otherwise, I do prefer just Ignis.” he continued. He gestured to the blonde man, who was grabbing an extra seat across from you. “And this thorn in my side is Prompto Argentum. But you can call him Annoying.”  
“Hey! C'mon Iggy, don't make me look bad.” Prompto pouted. You tried your best to suppress a laugh, but it didn't go unnoticed. Gladio leaned in. “Looks like she enjoys Prompto's suffering. I like her already.”  
Noctis also laughed. “Good, me too. You'll get along with us great if all your jokes are at Prompto's expense.” Prompto continued to sulk until Wiz returned, sandwiches in hand. Ignis looked up at the old man. “Wiz, what was it that you require of us?”  
“Straight to business is it?” Wiz sighed, a grim expression spreading across his face. “A few of our lights are out. A voretooth pack has been roaming dangerously close to us at night. They don't usually come out around here until dusk so if you lot could clear em out for me until we get our mechanic here tomorrow I'd be awfully grateful. They're the reason we have our dear medical genius here.” he nodded his head towards you.  
“No prob.” Gladio responded confidently. Noctis nodded. “Easy. No problem Wiz.”  
Your ears perked up. “You guys are hunters too?”  
Noctis shrugged, “At first it wasn't by choice, but in the long run it's helped us be prepared for anything. Plus, we want to help wherever we can ever since...” he trailed off. You realized what he was referring to, and what the Insomnia incident had meant in regards to Noctis.  
“I'm sorry.” you breathed. A dark mood setting over the table. The sound of loud chewing filled the air and Prompto smacked the table playfully. “Damn, this sandwich is good Wiz.” he smiled between bites, his face stuffed to the brim. Noctis stared at him a moment before bursting out laughing. “Prompto...” he snorted. “Your face is ridiculous.” You looked at Noctis, then to Prompto, who grinned and shot you a wink. Realizing he had packed his mouth full to lighten the mood, you suddenly found yourself grateful and appreciative to have met such an eclectic group of men.

Hours had passsed and the sun began to lower, but to you it felt like mere seconds with the lively chatter of the group. You finished up and watched as the men jammed once again into the car. Ignis shut the door to the drivers seat, poking his head out to call to you. “We should be back early this morning. I do hope you will join us for breakfast before we head out, you were a pleasure to speak with tonight.” You involuntarily broke into a toothy smile. “Thank you Ignis! I can't wait. Stay safe, all of you!” Your heart swelled as you watched them leave and you returned to your small room at the Post, eager to see them off in the morning. 

 

* * *

 

You awoke from your sleep in a haze. _What time is it?_ You heard a commotion from outside, no sun was evident through the window. _The middle of the night._ Still half-asleep it took a moment to process what the noise exactly was. It wasn't until there was a heavy pounding on your bedroom door that you snapped out of the grogginess. You threw on sweatpants and a tshirt, swinging open the door to a panicked Noctis, who immediately took you by the arm and dragged you outside. Your bare feet hit the cold soil and it sent a chill down your spine as you heard yelling, Wiz running outside and the chocobos squawking in panic. “Please.” Noctis urged. “ _Please_ help him. We didn't have enough curatives. Please...” You scanned the area, spotting Gladio, his left arm covered in blood and his right...carrying a bleeding Prompto.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so soooo much for sticking with me until Chapter 2. I hope you enjoy!

All you heard over your blood pumping from adrenaline was the echoing outcry of “ _Red Giant”_ and “ _appeared like an apparition from the ground”_ from Ignis. The group placed Prompto in a spare bed in Wiz's caravan. You demanded Wiz get whatever curatives he could carry to his bedside.  
The good news was that Prompto was awake, barely, but the bad news was it was evident from his writhing that he could feel each agonized nerve from the burning laceration in his side.

“Prompto is all ballistics. He should have been out of range.” Gladio stated angrily, gripping his own arm. “I should have covered him sooner.”

Your eyes didn't stray from Prompto as you opened your medical kit. Wiz returned quickly with whatever potions, pills, and remedies he could carry. “I didn't know what could be of use...” he huffed.

“This is perfect Wiz,” you interrupted. Please check on the chocobos. They'll be agitated from the commotion, I've got this.”

Pulling up the side of Prompto's shirt, you got a good look at his wound, an open jagged slice stretched across his the lower part of his side all the way to his upper stomach.

“Alright.” you prepped yourself. “Noctis please hand me whatever the highest potency material that Wiz brought in. Everything should be labeled. Prompto will be fine, he's just in a whole world of pain. Whatever struck him, it was hot enough to cauterize the wound but it needs to be tended to immediately.”

You pressed a damp towel to Prompto's side and he let out a stifled wail. “I'm sorry.” you started, trying your best to comfort him but to no avail. “This is going to absolutely suck to hear, but I have to clean the wound and bandage it, and it's going to hurt like an absolute bitch. Can you try your best to be still?” Still on his side, Prompto gritted his teeth, opening his eyes barely to look at you and give a slight nod. You were shocked at your own professionalism. Generally, you were not nearly as confident in your own skills, but the fact that each person responded quickly and efficiently at your instructions only strengthened your resolve.

Noctis gave you three spherical bottles each labeled with various effects. You examined each one before picking the bottle with an orange-purple tint to it. Potions of this high a caliber were rare, crafted by a small group of magic users by means of blessed healing waters and sold. But you refused to dwell on how it came into Wiz's hands.  
“I'm sorry Prompto.” you repeated, removing the towel from his side and placing it adjacent to his back. Prompto tensed, bracing for what was to come. You uncorked the bottle and tipped, letting the purple fluid come into contact with his would and run down through the jagged edges of torn tissue and skin, dripping down onto the towel. Prompto's eyes shot open and strained as he cried out in an agonized bellow. His whole body tensed and you tried your best to keep him still, Noctis and Ignis jumping to your aid. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know it hurts. You're doing well so far.” you continued as the liquid carried grime away from his wound, exposing the fresh tissue. You finished the bottle before taking another, this time an orange hued liquid and a roll of gauze.

“Prompto,” you spoke, whether or not he listened. “I'm going to dress the wound now. By morning you will be fine, I promise you.” You poured half of the contents into the gauze, and pressed it to his side. “Ignis, there is a roll of medical tape within my kit, please help me adhere this bandage.” He did as he was asked and as you held the bandage, soaked with healing potion against his side as Ignis firmly secured it. Promptos cries dulled to a low whimper as you stayed by him, applying pressure to his fresh bandage. “Prompto...it feels better already, doesn't it? You may lay on your back now, I'll give you something.” you shuffled through your medical kit. Prompto remained silent but slowly rolled onto his back, his forehead damp with sweat. He looked at you through hooded eyes and muttered something incoherent. You looked to Noctis, Ignis and Gladio, who was still brooding in the corner, apparently unaware of his own injury. “He's going to be perfectly fine. I'm sure you are aware of the effects of various potions and how quickly they mend injuries such as this. His pain will subside as his nerves finish reattaching. Wiz happened to have some potent ones. We are lucky to live in such a world where this type of magic exists.” Noctis breathed a sigh of relief and Gladio smiled weakly. “Whaddya know. The girl actually has skill.” he sighed, exhaling his obvious worry. You picked up a small object from your kit and turned back to Prompto, who, at this point, looked more exhausted and haggard rather than in agony. “I'm going to help Gladio now, but you did wonderfully. Open your mouth.” Prompto eyed you suspiciously. You held up the item in your hand. “Don't worry, it's just a chocolate truffle. It's made with an expensive sheeps milk though so it will make you feel a little better I promise. And if it doesn't, you're lying.” You smiled jokingly as you pressed the chocolate to his lips. He continued to eye you suspiciously, but relented and took the sweet from your fingers, chewing slowly. As you turned towards Gladio, Prompto muttered something between bites. Your head snapped back. His face distorted into an unreadable expression as he chewed. “What was that?” you asked. He swallowed hard. “I'm not a kid.” he whispered, half serious and half playfully. You let out a small chuckle. “Go to sleep. And stay away from Red Giants from here on out.” you responded, as you took your equipment and stepped over to work on Gladio's arm.

 

 

In comparison to Prompto, Gladio's treatment had gone smoothly. You soaked dissolving stitch thread in a potion of your own and sewed the wound shut. Gladio took it well, even making small talk as you worked, much to your surprise. After you were finished, you bid them goodnight and warned them not to be so reckless. Despite having only known them for barely a day, it had been the most worry you had felt for a group in a long time and as such, your sleep was tumultuous. Tossing and turning, sleep evaded you until you saw the glimmer of the rising sun peek through your windows. With exhaustion overtaking you, and no threat of daemons with the daylight near, sleep finally snatched you.

 

* * *

 

 

You awoke late and peered out your window, the sun was high in the sky and it must have been late afternoon. You bathed and dressed yourself, regretting that you probably missed telling your newfound friends goodbye and good luck on their journey. As you packed your own bags, eager to return to the road and wander from town to town, you heard a small knock. _Wiz?_ You walked over and opened the door. Your face lit up. “Ignis! You're still here?”  
Ignis cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. “Indeed. Actually, may I have a word in private?” You studied his face. “O-of course, come on in.”

Ignis stepped inside your room, closing the door behind him.

“As you know, we ran into a bit of trouble last night. But, you performed admirably and without hesitation.” He once again adjusted his glasses, looking you square in the eye. “We spoke with Wiz this morning and he informed us of your predicament.”  
“Predicament?”

“You wander from town to town by yourself do you not? Treating the locals?”

“Well, yes but-”

“I can't imagine that is the safest means of traveling.”

“Generally I catch rides with people going my way.”  
“Ah, a hitchhiker. I don't mean to offend, but you do realize that since the Insomnia incident that the Empire has been running rampant. You are an intelligent woman, I doubt you are unaware of the Magitek engines that patrol the area.”

You stayed silent. This was true and although you hadn't run into trouble so far, you had only been to Lestallum, and two outposts before arriving at the ranch. “Are you suggesting I stay at the Chocobo Post?” you inquired. “For my safety or something?”  
“Quite the contrary.” he replied. “Actually, after speaking with the group, we came to the conclusion that we could genuinely use someone like you to aid us. That is, if you were up for it. Despite the gruesome scene last night, we are quite adept at handling various dangers, including the Empires troops. And no doubt you saw our vehicle. The Regalia is a much smoother way to travel from place to place instead of risking hitchhiking.”

You absorbed his words carefully. “But, and I don't mean this in a harsh way,” you started. “I believe it's Prince Noctis the Empire seems to be preoccupied with finding, dead or alive, is it not? Should I travel with you, even if you are all able to fight them, I hold no combat skill whatsoever.”  
Ignis smoothed his hair back with a slender, gloved hand. “My dear, I figured that you might say that. And obviously the choice is entirely up to you. But the group itself is altogether willing to help you. We do not expect you to be at the same level as the Kingsguard, with all our years of training, but with the right environment we can at least show you how to protect yourself should you decide to become a lone wanderer once more.”

You mulled this over. Sure, you wanted to travel by yourself, but Ignis had a point. There was strength in numbers and if you were to be safe, wouldn't the safest people be the Kingsguard, who had trained in combat since childhood? At the same time, it was the most trained people who were also the most targeted. You sighed, unsure of what to do.  
Ignis sensed your hesitation. “I do not want to pressure you, however, maybe we can come to a compromise. The whole group would like to thank you for your help. If you will allow us, we can escort you until we arrive at the next Outpost. We can provide some protection for you, some basic weaponry and teach you the basics of self preservation should you run into danger. Should you wish to leave, it ends there. If you desire to stay with us, we could really use someone with any sort of medical knowledge as an ally. We would very much like to return your kindness and help.”

This erased any doubt in your mind.

“That is a fair compromise, Ignis. I will graciously accept.”  
He smiled back. “Very well then. I shall inform the group of your decision. I am sure they will be rather pleased.”

He turned on his heel and exited your bedroom. You quickly latched your bag closed and followed him closely, barely missing the words “What'd she say?” from a familiar voice. You looked up, a smile breaking across your face as you saw all four men standing proudly by their car, chatting with Ignis, clearly pleased by what he told them. Gladio leaned on the hood of what you assumed Ignis dubbed as “the Regalia.” Prompto was up and about, energetic as ever. He spoke excitedly with Ignis. “This is so cool, we get another member!” he spouted. You trotted over. “Hey everyone, good to see you looking well, Prompto! Hows your wound?” Prompto's energy subsided into a shy hesitation. “I-it's feelin' pretty good.” he slightly lifted his shirt, an absence of bandage and a raw scar and thick bruise coating his side. You scrunched up your face. “Still looks painful, but it's good to see you in much better shape.” He lowered the hem of his tank top and scratched the back of his neck. “Heh, yeah. It's still a little achy, but whatever you gave me did the trick. It's incredible what something as small as potions can do to a body. Gladios arm looks like he barely got a scratch!” He dug the toe of his boot in the ground awkwardly. “Sooooooo, Ignis says you're going to tag along?” His eyes looked up at you. You smiled back. “Yeah, but probably only until the next outpost. We'll see how I feel from there.”

There was a hesitation but Gladio broke the silence. “Well, welcome aboard little lady,” he stepped over to the back seat and opened the door. “You'll have the privilege of riding in the middle seat. Prompto, don't just stand there, grab her bag.”

“O-oh, right. You got it!” He stepped over, taking your lightly packed bag and tossed it in the trunk.

“Off we go then, yes?” Ignus said, opening the drivers side door. Noctis joining him in the front seat of the Regalia.  
You squeezed into the back, Prompto on your left and Gladio stepping in on your right, effectively squishing you between the two men. “Sorry,” he smirked, as your face began to reddened at his well defined body pressing up next you. “I'd try to be less fit, but someone has to show up Noct.” he joked. Noct shot him a look from the front seat. “I have muscle, Gladio.” he snapped.

Ignis revved the engine and pulled out of the Post, you waved vigorously to Wiz and his chocobos, bidding them well as they disappeared behind you.  
“Hey.” came a soft voice from your left. Prompto poked your forearm. You looked up. He faced you but averted his eyes. “I-I'm not good at this but, what you did yesterday...you really saved my skin back there. Just...thank you.” His voice was so low it was barely audible. “Aside from these guys, not a lot of people would've looked out for me or treated me the way you did so...just...it feels good having another person to call friend.”

Moved by his heartfelt words, you found yourself empathizing. You were not, however, used to taking praise or compliments without feeling embarrassed so you tried to ease your own uncomfortable demeaner. “N-no problem, Prompto. It's my job, it's not a big deal, I promise. That's what...” you chose your next words carefully. _Could you call him friend after such a short time?_ You decided against it. “That's what good people do.” you finished. He seemed to accept it, his voice grew louder,  
“Yeah well it meant a lot to me, so if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, let me know.”

You smiled, noting the camera once again strapped around his neck. “Well, you can start by showing me your pictures.”  
His face lit up like a wedding in Lestallum. Gladio laughed, overhearing you. “You're going to be stuck listening to stories for the next three weeks.” he chuckled. Noctis joined in. “Yeah don't get him started!”  
Prompto playfully snapped back. “Too late guys, the lady has requested, and so she shall receive!”

A united groan came from the other three and you beamed, happy to have such good company for your new journey.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since these first two chapters set up the basic world and skill of each member,  
> I have a whole story mapped out and an ending decided, but if you like it, please let me know!! It encourages faster chapters and a general sense of resolve to continue. Thank you everyone for sticking with me this far and I hope you continue to join me in Chapter 3.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *winks*

The sky burned orange as the sun cascaded downward towards the distant mountains. In the end, Gladio was right, Prompto had only made it through three pictures, spending an exorbitant amount of time recanting stories about each one, going from tangent to tangent. He relayed how he started photography, where the group had been, what the group had fought and the general premise of where they wished to go before shipping off the mainland.

“We should make camp.” Ignis stated, to no one in particular. Noctis agreed. “Sounds like a plan, don't want to risk a repeat of last night.”

“I'm embarrassed to say this,” you chimed carefully. “But I have never camped outside. I found it too risky with the onslaught of daemons.”

Gladio elbowed you playfully. “Well, camping sucks, but I gotta say, you don't know truly know someone until you've camped with them.”

“You've _never_ slept outside?” Prompto asked, shocked. Ignis pulled the car to the side of the road, and stepped out. “Prompto, be polite. There is a campsite nearby if I recall. I'll need your help setting up the portable stove if you want any dinner tonight.”

Noctis stretched. “Ugh, it feels so good to stand after hours of Promptos endless chatter.”

Gladio stepped out of the car, offering you his hand in the process. “Assistance for the lovely lady.” he bowed dramatically. You tried to hide your flustered face, instead laughing at his obvious jest, taking his hand graciously and scooting yourself out as well. Prompto hopped out and ran around the car to catch up to you, laying a firm pat your shoulder. “Don't look so worried.” he urged. “No daemons will bother us at camp. Plus, Ignis is cooking tonight, I can't wait for you to try it. He makes the best food I've ever tasted.”

 

* * *

 

 

Setting up had been easy enough, but it was the waiting for food that was agonizing. Prompto wasn't kidding. Even though you hadn't _tasted_ Ignis's concoctions yet, the aroma itself was intoxicating. While Noctis, Prompto and Gladio played cards within the tent, you found yourself pacing around the campfire, looping around to peer over Ignis's shoulder every few minutes.

“If you keep it up, my dear. You'll be served last.” he chuckled, waving you off. You sighed audibly. Ignis grinned. “Unless, you'd like to help? It would be far more accommodating than walking around in circles all night.”

“Of course!” you said, almost a little too eagerly. He laughed softly, handing you a ladle and gesturing to a stockpot emitting the most alluring aroma. “No taste testing until it's finished.” he ordered. “If you'd be so kind, please keep stirring while I chop the vegetables and meat. We need to thicken the base sauce a bit more before we begin adding to it. Let the spices steep within it.”

You sighed, still tempted to try the stew in front of you, but you obeyed. You chatted with Ignis extensively, and he seemed extraordinarily pleased to have company while he cooked. Just as Ignis was finishing his prep work, a loud irritated groan followed by laughter, exited the tent. Prompto emerged from the tent, arms crossed and called back. “I'll win Kings Knight next time guys.”

“Don't lie to yourself Prompto.” came Gladio's chuckling voice in return. Prompto sauntered over to the stove, sniffing deeply. “Whoa, Ignis already put you to work, huh.” he smirked, peering into the stockpot at the lightly bubbling stew. Ignis walked over with the meat and a bowl of finely chopped vegetables, pushing Prompto's face out of the way. “Actually, she makes quite the culinary accomplice.” he smiled, slowing dropping in the rest of the ingredients.

“Oh please, I'm simply stirring.” you responded.  
“On the contrary, a good chef knows when to stir and when to leave the sauce to simmer, and you, my dear, have done perfectly.”

“I'm going to snap a shot!” Prompto interrupted, lifting the camera from his neck. You reacted quickly, trying to step out of the photo only to hear the response of “Wait, no! Get back in!” from your blonde friend. Smiling awkwardly, still clinging to the ladle, you struck a pose and the shutter clicked with a brilliant flash of light.

“Yes! Perfect. Glad someone around here can have fun.” Prompto laughed, putting his camera away and going over to take a seat in one of the chairs surrounding the campfire. Ignis put a hand on your shoulder. “Why don't you join him? I'm almost done and I can manage from here. I'll serve you first since you were so much help. Much appreciated.”

“Are you sure?” you asked, looking at the stew then to Ignis.

“Indeed.” He smiled warmly, before turning back to the stove. “Please, go unwind.”

 

The way Prompto had earlier described Ignis's cooking was an understatement. It was, by far, the most delicious thing you had tasted in your entire existence. Paired with a fine wine of Ignis's choice, the group sat around the fire, the majority of conversation comprising of either you directly praising Ignis and his cooking, or the rest of the group making absolute fun of you for being so enraptured by food. Gladio had made a point, you don't really know someone until you camp with them and for you that meant laughing with everyone, joking, eating together and bonding. As someone with a strong sense of individuality, friends weren't something you had made a point of preoccupying yourself with. Sure, people would come and go, but it didn't matter because you were always on the move as is, trying to advance yourself and chase the next goal. But here you were, in such a short time, _bonding,_ truly bonding with these four unexpected men. If you had known a week ago you would be camping, outside, among all the danger and eating with none other than royalty and his guard, you would have considered yourself delusional but spending time with them made you forget they were high society. Being out here and enjoying the night air made you feel a new level of security. In such little time, to have experienced all of these things, you were suddenly filled with a sense of purpose and realization. You took a small sip of wine and cleared your throat, gathering everyone's attention.

“Guys, I just want to say thanks. Not just for driving me around like some hitchhiker off the road, but for letting me experience this with you. I know it's only been a while but...if you are all okay with it...I don't think I need to wait until the next outpost to make my decision.”

All four men fell silent.

“If it's alright with you. I would like to stick with you during your journey. For as long as you'll have me.”

There was a pause before Prompto shot to his feet and Noctis broke into a big grin. Ignis hummed what could only be made out as a sign of approval as he drank his coffee.

“Alright!” came a gruff cheer from Gladio. Prompto was at your side in a shot, lightly punching your arm in solidarity. “Yeah, this is so awesome!” he exclaimed, a goofy smile plastered on his face, wisps of blonde hair falling in front of his eyes. He leaned in excitedly, “Oh man, we're gonna have so much fun. We gotta go to Galdin Quay while you're with us.” You're gaze shot up to the blonde man, not realizing just how close he had leaned towards you. You were met with clearest, bluest eyes you had ever seen. Why hadn't you noticed the color before? _Are those freckles?_ You thought to yourself, your gaze sweeping from his eyes, to his nose, to his cheeks in succession. _That's kind of...really cute. Wait, what?_ You involuntarily pulled back from your own thoughts, your face quickly growing hot in both embarrassment and shame and...something unidentifiable. Prompto too, noticed your discomfort and backed up a little, “Whoa there, sorry. Didn't mean to burst your personal bubble there. My bad...” he laughed awkwardly, clearly hoping he hadn't offended you.

You raised your hands up in protest. “Oh no no, you just caught me off guard is all!” you said, trying to laugh it off.

A chuckle came from Gladio. “Don't make this awkward for the rest of us, lovebirds.” he teased, which immediately resulted in you and Prompto stumbling over each other to deny the accusation. You knew, deep down, that Gladio was teasing, as he had been since you met him, but for some reason it irked you in this particular moment. Ignis sighed, shaking his head. “Well, I do believe we should be off to sleep if we are to get anything done tomorrow...”

Prompto quickly rounded the campfire toward the tent, as if in a rush to escape the uncomfortably awkward cloud that had descended upon you both, “Yeah me too. I'm beat.”

A realization hit you like a voretooth pouncing it's prey “Wait, you guys...where am I going to sleep?”

Gladio chuckled softly and patted your shoulder as you stood. “In the tent.”

You face flushed immediately. He let out a hearty laugh. “Don't worry so much. We're you're friends. We promised to help you, not be complete creeps.” He opened the tent flap. “Plus, we thought you might have that concern, so we made a little corner just for you. All our stuff separates where we sleep, from where you do.”

You entered the tent and sure enough, in a small corner, behind a messy barrier of clothes, cell phones and rucksacks, was a space with a thin blanket. Gladio followed behind you, as the rest of the men sat down in their respective places, Noctis already completely prostrate and half asleep. “Sorry we don't have more for comfort. But we hope you'll be at least a little cozy over there.” Gladio finished.

You approached your corner, carefully stepping over the wall of clutter and sunk down, propping your bag into a makeshift pillow. Time had gone by so quickly you hadn't realized how utterly exhausted you felt. Prompto's head poked itself up from over the clutter as Ignis turned off the flashlights and lanterns.

“Hey.” he whispered, as the tent went pitch black. You whispered back. “Hey.”

“Thanks for sticking with us.” he paused a moment and you looked up but were unable to see his face in the dark. “Well...” he started. More hesitation. “That's all. Sleep well.”

“You...too.” you replied, albeit slightly confused as you closed your eyes and sleep conquered you.

 

* * *

 

Prompto awoke early, yawning and stretching his arms until they hit the makeshift barrier between the group and you. He sat up and surveyed the tent, quickly noticing an absence of Ignis and Gladiolus. _Must be making breakfast._ He thought to himself. Noctis was splayed out a short distance away, still in deep sleep. He looked behind him, the space over the makeshift wall easily visible. You slept soundly.

Prompto hadn't really seen many women sleep up close, so it was definitely a sight to behold. Your limbs were pointing every which way, indicative of a turbulent nights sleep, but your face was calm, lips slightly parted as you breathed steadily. Your hair was an absolute mess and your clothes were now wrinkled and clung to you haphazardly, but it wasn't ugly in the least. If anything, seeing you so disheveled was something that made Prompto find himself entranced by. It was really, _really_ cute.

 _Nope,_ he mentally chastised himself. _Not going there._ He shook the thought out of his head and lightly smacked his own cheek. He was self aware enough to know that he became infatuated easily, and Gladio had pointed out several times to him that thinking someone was cute, or nice, or good at something, didn't mean Prompto actually _liked_ them. He had been rejected so much throughout his life, he knew where this would go if he let his mind wander this early on. These were just temporary pangs of loneliness on the road. Plus, he had his mechanic goddess infatuation back in Hammerhead. He repeated this in his mind for what felt like ages, until the familiar deep pitched voice of his comrade interrupted his thoughts.

“Hey, Prompto. Quit spacing out and wake her up.” Gladio demanded, peering in from outside. Prompto snapped his head back. “I'm not spacin-”

“I'm up.” your voice arose groggily from behind him. “Gladio you're voice is so loud.” you whined, flopping an arm over your eyes.

Gladio continued. “Good, rise and shine. Prompto, since you're up so early. You get the lucky task of helping me with morning training. We get to teach this little missy how to defend herself.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading everyone. Chapter 4 will come sometime next week since I need to dedicate some time to makin' money the next few days. Please let me know how you like the fic so far! It keeps me motivated :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training Day

Your arms and legs burned and tears of pain and frustration began to sting your eyes as you tried to bear your weight under Gladio's kite shield.

“It's too heavy, Gladio!” you yelled, putting all your willpower into holding up the heavy slab of metal. “I can't do this!”

“Yes you can.” he stated lowly, arms crossed. Your knees began to shake under the weight. You grit your teeth, as you expel the last amount of energy to push upward on the kite shield and hold it. This isn't what you thought your first day of training would be like.

Prompto leans in towards Gladio, “Gladio give her a break dude.” he says quietly, just out of your earshot. “Look at her. How is she going to use a Kite Shield as a weapon if she can't even hold it? Her legs are about to give out.”

“Don't tell me how to train, Prompt.” he responded shortly. “She's a good person, but she needs to learn what the world is like. If she ever ran into a situation where she fought alone, she would die. Even against a newborn voretooth.”

“Unless you kill her first with this.” he muttered darkly. Gladio stayed silent at this.

“Alright, that's enough, drop it.” Gladio commanded and you did immediately, the loud clang of metal resounding off of the hard rock ground below you. You panted, your hands on your knees, sweat dripping from your forehead and staring wide eyed and tired at the ground, trying to compose yourself.

Gladio stepped in front of you. “You need to understand that both me and Noctis can wield this. Not only in defense but as an offensive weapon.”

You panted, not looking up at him. “I know.” you managed, between breaths. “I...I'm sorry.”

And you were. You were ashamed you had thought you'd find this easy. Not only that, but the weight of realizing that you could've been dead at this point was beginning to dawn on you. You had been traveling alone until now. It had worked out, but what would you do the moment it didn't? You'd be helpless. You struggled to fight back tears of frustration. Knowing that even people like Noctis, Prompto, Ignis and Gladio could get hurt despite all their training made you feel so _goddamn weak_.

“Gladio, I'll...I'll try again.” you panted. He looked down at you.

“No. Not with the kite shield. You will take a break and then Prompto will take over.” he squat down in front of you and you looked up, your face now level with his. “Listen.” he started, brushing a hand through his own hair. “We, all of us, want you to be safe, and that means we aren't going easy on you. By the time you are done, you will not only be able to lift this.” he gestured to the face down shield. “But you will be able to utilize it as an offense.” You stayed silent and he put a giant hand on your head. “Look at me.” he commanded and you barely looked up. “I _promise_ you. You can do this, and we will all help you. But I will not give you the kite shield again until you are ready.”

You felt like a little kid by the way he was dealing with you, but his words lit a fire of motivation in your spirit.

 

Prompto jogged over as Gladio paced back towards the campsite to wake Noctis. “You okay?” he asked, looking at you as you stood keeled over, hands on your knees, panting in exhaustion. You forced a sarcastic laugh. “Does it look like I'm okay?”  
His mouth twitched and he sat down beside you, motioning for you to join him. “He's right you know. You have to be prepared.”

“Look at you being so serious.” you said, mildly irritated. “I thought you were the fun one.”

He pouted dramatically. “That hurts, I thought you were the nice one.”

“Ouch, point taken.”

His face grew serious once more as the two of you stared out over the horizon as you caught your breath. “But you need to be stronger. I can't believe you managed to make it this far just by hitch hiking. The Empire could have killed you.”

Your breath began to calm, you waited for him to continue.

“You've already met us. Even if you decide to leave now, it wouldn't change anything. We'd probably force you to stay until we thought you could manage on your own. From what it seems, you haven't even been through a fraction of the continent. You came from Lestallum right?”

You nodded yes. He pondered this. “Hammerhead? Gauldin Quay? Cape Caem?”  
You shook your head and replied. “Coernix Station in Alstor. A few populated pitstops in the Kelbass Grasslands and helping other wanderers in the Nebulawood north of Cauthess.”

“Mmm.” he hummed to himself and then hoisted himself up. “Not good enough. The Empire is becoming more present every second. You need to be prepared.” he smiled, offering you a hand. “Breaks over.”

 

* * *

 

Prompto reached towards his holster and pulled out a simple handgun. “See this?” he said, smiling. “This is the gun I've had the longest on this journey. Not the most powerful, but it does the trick. Look at it closely, here's the ejector rod...” You peered as he showed you the various parts of the gun, like an excited schoolboy showing his classmates his prized action figure.

“This is a six cylinder single action revolver, you will have to reload constantly.” The gun was shiny, a small royal insignia engraved on the barrel. You nodded.

 

Over the next hour, Prompto repeatedly quizzed you on each part of the revolver and had you unload and reload the gun without shooting it, making sure you knew exactly what to do. It was monotonous work, but gave you a chance to catch your breath after Gladio's workout.

“Always act as if it's loaded and never point it towards anything you don't intend to shoot.” Prompto instructed. “Be aware of your target and what lies beyond it so you don't accidentally hit an ally.” You repeated these rules aloud and repeatedly, trying to will them into your head as second nature.

Telling you to wait, Prompto ran briefly back to camp and returned with empty stock cans used by Ignis the night before. He skipped ahead, finding a rock in the distance and placed the cans on the top, spaced out by the width of a fist.

Prompto then took the unloaded gun, packed 6 bullets in the chamber and spun it closed.

“Step back.” he said, “Watch me, not the can.”

You did. He stepped naturally with his feet shoulder width apart, using his right leather gloved hand to clasp the grip, followed by his left.

It was when he straightened his elbows that you became acutely aware of just how defined Prompto's arms were. He wasn't even flexing but you could see his forearms bulge and his shoulders bulk out of his tank top. You wondered if the rest of him was just as fit. “Don't lock your elbows, just extend.” he said, snapping you out of your wandering thoughts.

He pulled the hammer back and cocked the gun. You weren't sure if it was the action of using a dangerous weapon, or the fact that Prompto suddenly looked just so damn _good_ wielding one, but your heartbeat began to pace faster.

And then he gently pressed the trigger and fired. A loud resounding bang filling your ears. Ever so slightly you saw the recoil ripple through his locked wrists and through his forearms, involuntarily causing his bicep to flex and keep his arm from popping back up, the bandana wrapped around it fluttering with the movement. The clang of a can in the distance evident of his accuracy. It was exhilarating.

You hadn't been aware you had been holding your breath the entire time. Prompto smiled. “I'm that good huh?” he laughed, walking over to you. “Think you got that?”

You barely answered before Prompto placed the revolver gently in your hands, patting your shoulder once. “You get a try now. I'll be here, don't be nervous.”

You stared blankly at the revolver in your hands, the cool metal seeming foreign to your skin. The heat still in your cheeks.

“C'mon don't worry about it, I'll be your guide!” he coaxed.

“O-okay.” you stammered. _Fuck, why am I so nervous?_ You tried desperately to swallow your doubt and stepped to the area Prompto had aimed moments before. _Feet shoulder width apart, wrists locked. Right over lef-no left hand over my right on the grip._

“That's right! Lookin' good so far!” he called to you. The heat in your cheeks flared, but you grew frustrated with it's distraction. _Don't think, don't think._ You raised your arms to aim.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Prompto shot to your side, repositioning your arms and stepping back again. “Ok, now gently _pull._ Do not 'squeeze', the trigger.”   
You did so, but did not expect the recoil and your elbows shot back reeling, bending your arms upward. You're heart seized, a panic overcoming you as you stared wide-eyed in shock.   
You had naturally missed. _Shit._

“That's okay, it's your first time. It's alright. Don't fear the recoil, prepare for it! Here, I'll guide you on this next one.”

You nodded and refocused, waiting for his words of instruction but they never came. As you were about to inquire what his directions were, two gloved hands slide up your extended arms, one stopping by your elbow, holding it firmly and the other enclosing around your hands on the grip. “There you go.” came a husky whisper of Prompto's voice right next to your ear. “Look past the gun at the can, then through the can to the other side. Try to look _through_ it.”

You barely heard him, his breath tickling the curve of your ear as he spoke. He dropped one of his hands and moved it to your upper back, pressing you forward and upright, moving lower to the small of your back to stabilize you. Your skin was on fire. _What the fuck is this? Why am I acting like an idiot right now?!_ You mentally screamed at yourself. _Say something, say SOMETHING. Focus.  
_ You let out a small, choked grunt. Prompto, still way too close to your ear stifled a laugh. “Don't be nervous. If you miss, you just try again.” You were thankful he assumed all your nervousness was about shooting a gun.

You cocked the revolver, Promptos hand over yours as he guided your trigger finger to press back. _Bang._

There was ping, but it wasn't the can. You had hit the rock. You weren't sure you could aim with Prompto so close to you.

“Not bad!” he cheered abruptly, way to loudly into your ear. Caught off guard, you immediately dropped the gun at his booming praise and whipped your head around, bumping his nose with yours in the process. He froze in place, your faces practically touching as a pink hue blushed his cheeks. _Again with those blue eyes._ _Those damn freckles._ A person should not be allowed to possess such grand features. He seemed to analyze your face for a moment before nervously spewing a flurry of excuses to leave, and diving for the handgun that had miraculously not fired when dropped. “Well that's it for training today, are you hungry? I'm hungry. Let's go see what Ignis is up to, man that Ignis sure is a good chef...” he was rambling and your own embarrassment crept up on you. _He must have noticed me looking at him. I've embarrassed him, holy shit I'm so stupid._

Prompto, most likely sensing his own behavior whipped his body back towards you, while still walking towards camp. “We...we can continue tomorrow. You did well today.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't use any in this chapter but I'll probably include more Prompto POV in future chapters like in Chapter 3. What do you think??
> 
> Sorry the story is off to a rocky start, I'm essentially using it as an excuse to practice writing. Hopefully the verbal flow gets more coherent as I go lol!!! Thank you for any and all feedback. It's what keeps me going. 
> 
> I'll probably start posting a schedule and update every friday or something. What do you guys think??


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto avoids you. You call him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler chapter but an important establishment for Readers past and line of thinking. For the sake of consistency I'm going to keep the chapters a bit shorter.

Maybe it was a few days. Maybe it was a few weeks. But the amount of training that followed felt like decades. You stayed relatively close to where you had camped, stopping by outposts to replenish or to shower, but everyday was training and you're body felt like it aged forty years. You're bones would crack and pop, you're muscles ached and every night you felt a new type of pain you didn't think possible materialize on your body.

 

You did notice, however, that your strength had increased considerably. There was new definition in your arms and your legs. If you weren't so tired you would appreciate the emphasis training gave to your curves, especially your glutes. The most proficient training weapons were without a doubt the Lance both Ignis and Noctis trained you in, followed by general swords, followed by daggers. Gladio clearly saw you're body was not created for Greatsword, but he trained you in it regardless. “Builds strength. Never know when you'll need it.” he reasoned. As promised, he still hadn't made you touch the Kite Shield.

 

As for training with Prompto, he still provided instructions, but always kept a distance. You're accuracy was still very off, but without his guidance in positioning you, you're progress was much slower. He still joked with you but any sort of physical touch seemed to put him on edge. You weren't sure what his deal was. He was handsome but it wasn't like you were hitting on him when you bumped noses. Just because you thought he was cute and looked _real_ good holding a firearm didn't mean you were looking for anything aside from friendship. You were positive he had taken it the wrong way though and was making sure you knew your place as a friend, a bro, one of the guys. You were fine with that, and determined to make him comfortable around you again. Giving him enough space so he didn't feel like you were coming onto him. Joking with him like his bros did, yet he continued to distance himself more and more each day. It started with talking to you less, to avoiding you after training, to downright talking to the guys and pretending you barely existed unless you spoke to him first. After what felt like forever, you were fed up, and you were damn well going to do something about it.

 

* * *

 

 

Prompto, unbeknownst to you, was struggling in that matter. Sure you were cute. Like... _real_ cute, especially for someone who had done nothing but train for the past who knows how long and was constantly sweating from the amount of work you were being forced through. But ever since he spooked you so hard you whipped around to his face almost touching yours, he felt so unusual. He knew his heart belonged to Cindy, but he almost felt _guilty_ for enjoying your company, like training you was some taboo that would make him lose his shot with the mechanic back at Hammerhead. So he distanced himself, joked around with you like he did with Noctis, but the more he spent time with you and the group, the more he wanted to be around you. He didn't understand it. You were friends, but he had never truly _been_ friends with a women in this type of situation. He found himself not knowing how to act.

So he did what he knew and he isolated.

He joked with you but spent more time with the guys. He made a point to strictly train you and not get close to you. He distanced himself. He continued this for what seemed like weeks. Maybe if he kept this up he wouldn't feel so guilty and out of place, maybe he could be _normal_ around you again.

 

Several days following an almost wordless training session with you, after dinner and another lost game of Kings Knight, he wandered outside for a breath of fresh air and almost jumped out of his skin when you're voice came abruptly from behind him.

“Prompto, a word.”

Hadn't you been passed out in the tent? When did you leave? He hadn't even _heard_ you approach. Why did you sound so serious? He grew nervous but your voice softened. “It's not bad I promise. Let's go to the ridge.” You didn't even wait for an answer before pacing quickly away from camp towards an overlook. He jogged behind you curiously. You sat down on the ledge and patted the seat next to you.

“W-what's up?” he started, sitting down and not knowing what to expect. Were you mad? If he had done something offensive he certainly wasn't aware, he hadn't been around you enough to do so. You muttered something softly.

“What was that?” he inquired.

You swiftly turned to him, looking him straight in the eyes, catching him off guard.

“Did I do something wrong?” you questioned him sternly.

He fumbled over his words. “Wait what?! Why would you say that?” Had you _actually_ thought you had done something?

You seemed to search his eyes for an answer before sighing. “I'm...just so frustrated.” you started, obviously kicking yourself for something. “You've been distant with me ever since our first training session and I don't get _why_.”

He felt his breath hitch as you continued to speak. “I get that I got spooked. I get that it was awkward for you or something. I understand, but you've avoided me like I have some horrible disease. I'm not trying to make things awkward for you but you're acting so fuckin' _weird_ around me, man.”

You exhaled in frustration, pausing and thinking over your words carefully. Your tone softened to something almost sad. “Prompto...I'm sorry if I did something to make you feel so uncomfortable around me, but I thought we were friends.”

Prompto was stunned. “I...” he opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to think of a response. He had made you feel this way? You were mad at yourself because of _him?_ Regret filled his lungs and spread throughout his body. He mulled it over. “We _are_ friends.” he emphasized. “I'm sorry. I just thought...I don't know. Honestly, I'm not used to this.” he admitted.

“Used to what?” you pushed.

“Being friends with...like...”

“A chick? If you say 'a chick' I'm going to punch you.”

“Yeah.” he laughed. “Like, you're totally cool and it's chill hanging with you but I'm not used to it.”

You laughed bitterly. “I mean, it's not like I was making a pass at you. And just think about how weird it is for me. You guys are all close friends and I'm the outsider who just sort of fell into this group. You're all awesome but it sucks when the person I got closest to suddenly closed himself off.” you nudged him with your elbow. “I'm not used to it either.”

“Not used to what?”

“Having friends.” you muttered, turning away in embarrassment and staring out over the horizon. You rung your hands nervously. “Growing up sucked. People...aren't nice in the city, especially to those who aren't born into multimillionaire families. So ever since I got out, I made a point to just not...hang around people for long. And then you guys came along and I thought it was going to be shitty because you are all tied to the prince but it's been great and even the prince is cool for a monarch, but it's the longest time I've spent with _anyone._ ” You scratched the back of your head, your face hot with embarrassment at your sappiness. “I'm sorry to get all personal I just don't want to fuck up my first chance at having _real_ friends.” you hesitated awkwardly. “And about training, I promise I wasn't trying to be creepy, you just startled me...I swear.”

Prompto studied your face and paused, silent, letting your words soak in. “I'm sorry too.” he sighed and leaned back, plopping down on the cold rock and staring up at the darkening sky as stars began to pop out one by one through the red of dusk. “I empathize more than you know. Ask any of the guys, I was a total loser. I was too shy and didn't make any friends until Noctis.” He heaved a sigh and closed his eyes a moment before opening them once more and looking at you. “Sorry.” he repeated.

“So...are we cool again?” you asked.

He sat up once more, a smile on his face. “We never weren't cool. I'm just...new to this whole being bros with a girl thing.” He extended a hand for a handshake.

“Bros?” you asked, half smirking, forming a fist instead. “I'm a bro now?”

“Bros.” he confirmed, doing the same and bumping your two tightly clenched hands together in solidarity. Prompto smiled and looked out over the ridge.

 

You had made yourself clear, you were bros, friends, buddies...and that's what Prompto and you had wanted, right? Just friends and no possibility of anything else. _For the sake of Cindy._ Prompto had thought to himself. _For the sake of real friendship._ You had thought to yourself. But why did that suddenly make you both feel so...sad?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for sticking with me you guys!


End file.
